Creating a Transformational Sunday School, Pt 3

We have previously addressed the importance of creating a transformational Sunday School , along with examining how our Sunday Schools can become more Gospel-Centered. In this final installment, we are going to address recruiting individuals for various positions in a Sunday School Department, and how you can maintain retention as Sunday School Director.

Evangelistic Sunday School Teachers

“I don’t feel like it’s my calling.”

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

I recently had someone tell me that outreach and evangelism wasn’t a calling on their life.

As a Sunday School teacher, someone in church leadership or even a layperson, undoubtedly you have someone push against the thought of being more evangelistic.

Why is that?

I think it’s because we have become very comfortable in allowing others to do the work we don’t want to do.

I’m speaking, first, for myself before I am anyone else.

It’s so much easier to sit back and let others do the work.

Unfortunately, when we do that, we are ignoring the commands of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I’m afraid we’ve turned the Great Commission into the Great Suggestion.

In Matthew 28, we see a resurrected Jesus instructing His disciples to follow a simple (yet much ignored command):

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”-Matthew 28:19-20(HCSB)

That seems simple enough, right?

So why have we neglected so great a responsibility?

I believe it is because sharing our faith to someone else means that we have to allow them to examine our own lives.

That is terrifying!

But, my friend, we cannot avoid this command out of fear or anxiety. There is far too much at stake.

Moving Toward Sunday School Fitness

Sunday School is the first entry to many in church.

It is the first time they will hear about the transformational gospel of Jesus Christ.

We must become intentional in our evangelism.

How can we do that? I believe 3 major ways to become more evangelistic in Sunday School are:

Place Evangelistic Individuals in Teaching Roles

Establish Classroom Outreach Programs

Disciple to Evangelize

Your most important job as a Sunday School director is appointing teachers.

Teachers will make or break a Sunday School department.

That is why it so important to choose teachers who will make an effort to evangelize.

Many students will be experiencing their first truly focused look at Jesus Christ in their lives when they enter into our classrooms.

We cannot allow them to walk away without hearing the plan of salvation for their life.

Choose intentional evangelizers.

Place them in leadership positions.

Continuously train them on evangelism and the importance of sharing their faith.

An evangelistic Sunday School department is a healthy one.

Also, we have to establish classroom outreach programs. I like the idea of doing one for each class; for each quarter.

This will force the students to get out of their comfort zones.

It will also teach our students that evangelism can’t always be done within the four walls of the church.

This works best when it isn’t always led by the teacher. Getting everyone involved is key.

It can be as simple as offering a community dinner, ice cream social, free yard-sale or throwing a block party.

It just needs to be done in a manner that allows you to make contacts with the community.

If we don’t go out and extend an inviting hand to the community, many of them will never darken our doorsteps.

Finally, we must disciple to evangelize.

Our natural process of training and discipleship will lead to our students in Sunday School understanding their role in the Kingdom and will impress on them the zeal for evangelism that is necessary for the church to grow.

That’s why our teachers have to be intentional, not only with evangelism, but also in discipleship.

As we become more like Christ, inevitably, we will see a lost and dying world that desperately needs a Savior.

When we all realize our role in evangelism and we see our church as a mission-field, the Gates of Hell truly will not prevail against us!

***Creating a Transformational Sunday School is a series developed by one of our Featured Contributors, Joshua Schmidt***